The chandeliers shimmered above, casting golden reflections across the ballroom, but Aarya felt nothing but cold. Tonight was supposed to be perfect—an engagement party filled with laughter, love, and promises of forever. Instead, it felt like a performance, and she was merely playing a role in a carefully scripted lie.
She took a slow sip of champagne, her fingers tightening around the fragile stem of the glass as she watched Veer—her fiancé, the man she thought she knew—standing across the room. He was laughing, his deep voice mingling with the symphony of the evening, his hand resting lightly on the waist of another woman. Aarya knew that smile well. It was the same one that had once made her heart race, the one that had made her believe in love. Now, it sent a chill down her spine.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
The voice came from behind her, smooth yet laced with something unreadable. She turned to see a stranger—or at least, someone she thought was a stranger. Dark eyes met hers, studying her with an intensity that made her uneasy. The man was tall, effortlessly poised, with an air of mystery that sent a shiver through her.
"I'm sorry?" Aarya asked, forcing herself to smile.
"The illusion," he said, tilting his head toward Veer. "Everything looks so perfect from the outside, but inside…" He trailed off, letting the silence speak for itself.
Her breath hitched. Was it just paranoia, or did he know something?
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, feigning ignorance.
The man smirked. "Of course you don't." He lifted his glass in a mock toast before disappearing into the crowd, leaving behind the unsettling realization that he knew more than he should.
Aarya's heart pounded as she turned her gaze back to Veer. She wanted to believe it was all in her head, that the nagging feeling in her chest was just wedding jitters. But deep down, she knew the truth.
Something was wrong.
And tonight was only the beginning of the end.